Seat installation



Aug. 17, 1937. LE GRAND s. WHEDON ET AL 2,090,436

SEAT INS TALLA T ION Filed March 27, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS' ATTO N EYS Patented Aug. 17, 19137 UNETED STATES meant SEAT INSTALLATION Le Grand S. Whedon and Albert A. Grinnell,

Medina, N. Y., assignors to Whedon, Inc.,

Medina, N. Y.

Application March 27, 1935, Serial No. 13,358

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an adjustable seat installation for vehicles or other structures, and it has particular relation to an improved supporting and operating mechanism for a seating structure wherein seat supporting members, seat back and seat bottom can be relatively moved to conform readily to various positions desired by persons having various heights, weights, or other characteristics that might require either average or special seating arrangements.

The improved adjusting and supporting mechanism for adjustable seat structures to which the invention is directed involves an improvement over the type of seat structure disclosed in the application of Albert E. Grinnell, Serial No. 694,-

819, filed Oct. 23, 1933, for seat construction, wherein an occupant while seated may adjust the elements of the seating structure to provide comfortable upright seating posture for the back, or the seat may be so adjusted as to move the seat bottom with respect to its angular relation to the horizontal, in order to raise and lower portions thereof in conformity with the desired position or physical characteristics of various types of persons; or the seat bottom may be moved bodily to various horizontal positions forwardly and rearwardly, while portions of the seat back can be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly at will, in addition to bodily movement along with the movement of the seat bottom.

One of the principal features of the invention is exemplified in an improved structure of a controlling mechanism that is incorporated in a seat raising or lifting device that includes elements for locking and unlocking the seat structure in any of its series of positions while the locking mechanism is substantially free from binding influences that might tend to interfere with uniform action of the mechanical parts of the structure.

Another feature of the invention resides in the construction of supporting links arranged in parallelism for supporting the seat at various horizontal positions and the cooperation of these elements with a locking device.

Another feature of the invention is exemplified in the combination of a substantially forwardly and rearwardly movable portion of the seating 0 structure with devices which are operated to raise or lower the seat within predetermined limits, and wherein mechanisms providing for these types of movements can be operated independently or concurrently as desired.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the seating structure designed according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially along the lines 11-11 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary inverted or bottom plan I view with portions of the structure omitted;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section, on a larger scale, taken substantially along the lines IV-IV of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section, on a larger scale, taken substantially along the lines VV of Fig. 1. In practicing the invention a seat structure In is installed upon a suitable support I2, which can be in the form of a vehicle floor, or the like,

and includes supporting ears l3, rigidly secured to the floor for pivotally supporting upon suitable bearings l5 a pair of lower frame members E6 in the form of channels that are spaced so as to be disposed on opposite sides of the seat structure.

Each of these channels opens upwardly and receives adjacent opposite ends thereof front and rear links I! and I8, respectively, which are composed of flat bars [9 (Figs. 3 and 4) of rela- Coiled torsion springs 26 are disposed between the fingers 20 at each end of each of the links I! and I8 and the ends 21 of each spring bear under the influence of tension in the spring coils against the adjacent fingers 20 and the bottom of the channel in which it is located. These torsion springs constantly tend to move the links I! and H3 in counter clockwise directions, as viewed in Fig. 2, about the bolts 22 and 23, and hence, tend to raise the channels 25.

As best shown in Fig. 3 the front and the rear links I! and IB are connected by transverse braces 29 and 30, respectively, which are integral 7 with the inner bar portions i9 of the links. One

end portion on one side of each front link i1 is formed by bending one side of the brace at right angles to its transverse portion, and similar constructions form the other end portion of the inner side of each link l8 and the other side of the brace. Each brace is formed of longitudinallydivided tube formingmaterial which has cesses 34a in the inner sides of the channels andv thus when the braces are moved toward a horizontal position they do not strike the flanges of the lower channels.

An adjusting link 33 composed of flat bar 7 pieces 34 is' secured at its lower end by means a of a bolt 35 in" each lower channel l6 and its upper end is secured by means of a pin 36 in a nel.

downwardly opening channel slide 3'! which is slidable longitudinally in each upper channel 25 between the upper bolts 23. Thedownwardly extending walls 38 of the upper channel 25 are provided with inwardly turned guide flanges 46 which assist in guiding the slide and normally maintain it against displacement from the chan- The links 33 are formed similarly to the front and rear links I! and I8 previously described; but they are not provided with a transverse brace. 7

One of the upper corners of each channel 25 has a notch 42 cut therein and the channel slide 3lhas a series of notches 45, one of which registers with the first notch' 42, depending upon the position of the slide as it is moved longitudinally in either of the upper channels. Locking fingers 46 formed upon arms 48 are carried rigidly upon a transverse rod 50 that extends from one upper channel 25 to the other and is journalled in bearing ears 52 struck out from the body of the channel. A lever handle'53 extending upwardly as a rigid integral part of the rod 50 provides means for manually disengaging the finger 46, from the notches 42, 45. A torsion spring 55 'coiled aboutthe rod 50 has one end 56 connected tothefrod audits other end 51 connected to the adjacent channel 25 and normally exerts rotative force upon the rod to maintain the finger 46 in registering notches 42, 45.

A passenger seated upon the structure manipulates the handle 53 to release the adjusting slide '31 and if the seat is to be lowered, the weight of the passenger will force the seat'downwardly until the links approach horizontal positions and the handle is then released. The finger 46 will automatically snap into registering openings 42,

p 45. The passenger can raise the seatupon the links I1 and i8 by partially arising and permitting the seat bottomto follow' upwardly under the influence of the several torsion springs 26 while maintaining the finger 46 disengaged from the notches 42, 45. At the desired elevation the handle is released andthe slide 3! locked to maintain the channels l6 and 25in rigid, locked relation. V i V Since the locking slides 31 are located on both sides of the seat structure they provide a very rigid bracing action, and it is to be understood that the transverse braces 29 and 30 can be omitted in certain forms of the invention without unduly weakening the structure.

One end of a suspension link 60 is connected to' each rear upper bolt 23 at eachside of the seating'structure and the otheror upper end of the suspension link has a pivotal connection 62 securing it to the upper end portion of an upright standard 63 that is rigidly mounted, as indicated at 65 (Fig. 3), upon the rear portion of a frame 66 of a seat bottom 61. Each link 60 is bowed forwardly adjacent its lower end' and provides for forward and rear swinging movement of the seat bottom.

As best shown in Fig. 2, when the seat bottom 7 is moved forwardly a greater portion of the link 68 is disposed substantially coextensively with the vertical standard 63, and hence, does not project to the rear of the standard 'at locations above the seat bottom frame in any position of the parts of the structure. A conventional seat cushion 64 is mounted upon the frame 66.

Two U-shaped brackets 68 opening downwardly are secured to the bottom of the seat frame 66 at locations spaced from. the front extremity thereof and support rollers 69 that are mounted upon a transverse rod" 10 extendingrrotatably through the brackets fromrone side of the seat structure to the other. A handle 12 is provided upon one end of the'rod and'a pair of arms 13 rigidly carried by the rod adjacent opposite sides of the seat bottom are provided with locking fingers normally engaging notches 16 formed along the upper corner of. each upper channel member 25. V

The rollers are supported upon the upper surfaces of the channels 25 and in conjunction with the suspension links 60 provide for forward and rearward movement of the seatbottom with respect to the channel members 25. The locking fingers 15 can be manipulated topermit this movement and to secure the members in adjusted positions.

One sidewall extension 11 of each bracket 66 projects downwardly along the adjacent side of the channel 25 and is formed with an inwardly turned flange 18 which engages beneath the edge of the channel side and prevents the bracket from being displaced vertically from the channel. The

other side wall 19 of each bracket lies in sliding relation against the adjacent side of the channel 25 and the two bracket'sides 11, 19 provide a guide for slidably receiving the front portion of the channel 25. A torsion spring coiled about the rod 10 has one end 82 connected to the rod and the other end 83 connected to the channel and constantly urges the locking finger 15 into engagement with one of the notches 16. Front end portions of thelower sides of the channels 25 are formed with lugs 85 which serve as stops to prevent the bracket 68 from slipping from the ends of the channels and the inwardly turned flanges 40 of the rear portions of the channel also serve as stops to limit rearward movement of the brackets upon the channel.

Thus the seat bottom can be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly upon the channels 25 and locked in various positions of adjustment by manipulating the lever 12 and exerting slight force in the direction desired upon the seat bottom.

When the seat bottom moves forwardly and rearwardly upon 13116,.{011815 59 and links 60 the pivotal connection 62 describes an arc, and hence, the rear portion of the seat bottom is also slightly inclined with reference to the supporting channels'25 as the links and rollers approach the broken line position shown in Fig. 2. Sufiicient play is provided in connecting the brackets 58 about the upper channels 25 to prevent binding ofparts in assuming the position of inclination referred to.

At the rear portion of the seat bottom 61, a

frame or shell composed of metal or otherdurable material is formed with side flanges 92, forwardly projecting lower arms 93, and back 95. Suitable pivotal connections 95, carried by the seat frame 56 at locations intermediate the forward and rearward portions of the seat bottom, pivotally support the forward ends of the arms 93 of the shell and provide for forward and rearward swinging action of the rear of the seat shell along a forward and upward are from the rear of the seat bottom. A cushion 91, which is included with the shell 90 as a part of a seat back 98, is mounted in the seat shell in a conventional manner. Thus the seat back is bodily movable within predetermined limits about the pivotal connections 96.

An adjusting device I00 for the seat back is provided with brackets I02 bolted to the rear upper portion of the seat bottom frame 55 and a pivotal bolt I03 mounted thereon pivotally supports an upright bar I05 that has notches I06 formed in the forward edge thereof. The upper portion of the bar also has a slot I0l extending longitudinally therein. A coil spring I08 normally under compression surrounds the bar and has its lower end resting upon the brackets I03, while its upper end presses against the lower surface of a flange I09 that is a part of an angular bracket H0. Conventional fastening devices II2 secure the bracket Hi] to an intermediate back frame portion H3 of the shell 90. The upper end portion of the bark I05 extends through a slot H5 (Fig. 3) formed in the flange I09 and any of the notches I06 can be engaged with the front edge wall of the slot H5 to lock the bar I05 to the bracket. Y

An actuating crank rod I I6 rotatably mounted in an opening Hl of a flange H8 formed on the bracket H0 also rotatably extends through a flange H9 formed on a second bracket I20, and is provided with a finger I22 of crank pin form. This finger fits slidably into the slot I01 of the bar I05 and is integral with a crank arm I23 of the rod. A handle or lever portion I25 of the crank rod H6 is adapted to be pressed downwardly to rotate the latter in the bearing brackets and thus to release the notches I06 of the bar I05 from engagement with the bracket I I0. One end portion of a spring I20 is connected, as indicated at I21, to the bracket I20 and its other end is connected, as indicated at I28, to the rod H6. This spring is normally under tension and constantly exerts force in a clockwise direction upon the rod H6, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, for the purpose of maintaining the notched portion of the bar locked with the bracket H0 and urges the bar toward the! locked position as soon as the handle I25 has been released after pressing the latter downwardly.

The coil spring I08 is sufiiciently strong to exert considerable force upon the seat back 98 tending to pivot it in an upward direction about the connections 06 and this action facilitates adjustment of the seat back. However, this spring is not sufliciently strong to interfere with the movement of the seat back to its rearmost position by pressure because the weight of a passenger seated in the ehicle overcomes the force of the spring. Since the pivotal action of the seat back is provided about the connections 96 at intermediate portions of the seat bottom, all portions of the seat back cushion 91, against which the passenger rests; are moved forwardly or rearwardly, as the case may be, in addition to the changing of the angle of inclination of the seat back, and as well as materially changing the elevation of the upper end of the seat back. In the rearward position of the seat back, the rear portion of the seat bottom is disposed within the lower portion of the shell 90 between the sides of the shell. The links 60 and standards 63 are disposed adjacent the inner sides of the extensions 93 and are therefore substantially obscured from View.

One of the important advantages of this structure resides in the fact that a passenger seated in the vehicle can adjust the seat back without moving from the seat merely by operating the handle or lever I25 and then by leaning backwardly or forwardly, depending upon direction in which adjustment is desired. After the crank pin I22 has been actuated in the slot in the upper end of the bar I05 to disengage the notched portion of the bar from the bracket H0, the coil spring I08 causes the seat back to follow the passenger as he leans forward to the desired position, i. e., when the passenger desires to have the back adjusted forwardly. Since the pivotal connections 96 are disposed medially of the seat bottom, the rear portion of the seat bottom and the lower portion of the seat back substantially contact each other without materially separating during the pivotal movement of the back.

These conditions of operation are advantageous because the proper relationship between the seat back and seat bottom is'retained regardless of the relative position of adjustment, and also the appearance of the seat structure as a whole is not marred by excessive separation of the junction portions of the cushions 64 and 91, which separation would occur if the pivotal connections for the shell 90 were located at the rear portion of the seat bottom.

In addition to the adjustment secured by the seat back structure just described, the forward and rearward adjustment provided by the suspension links 60 and rollers 69 upon the upper channels 25, together with the upward adjustment provided by the lifting links I! and I8, insures the positioning of the seat back and seat bottom and the seating structure as a whole in any practical relationship conceivable. Although several phases of adjustment can be employed separately, each phase of adjustment can be employed to modify the seating characteristics of the others.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a. seat supporting unit, a channel member having forward and rearward extremities, means for connecting the channel member to a seat bottom, a plurality of substantially parallel arms having upper end portions pivotally carrying the end portions of the channel member, supporting means for pivotally supporting the lower end portions of said arms, an adjusting device having an element slidably mounted in the channel member and an inherently rigid element pivotally connected thereto and to said supporting means, and means for selectively locking said slidable element in the channel member whereby the latter and the pivotal arms are locked in various relative positions to carry the channel member at various levels.

2. In a seat supporting unit, a channel member having forward and rearward extremities, means for connecting the channel member to' a seat bottom, a plurality of substantially parallel arms having upper end portions pivotally carrying the end portions of the channel member, supporting means for pivotally supportingthe lower end portions of said arms, a bar pivotally connected to said supporting means, a locking member slidably mounted in the channel member and pivotally connected to said bar, said locking member and channel member having registerable recesses, and means connected to the channel member and operable to engage in locking relation in the registerable recesses.

3. In a seat supporting unit, a channel member having forward and rearward extremities, means for connecting thechannel member to a seat bottom, a plurality of arms having upper end portions pivotally carrying the end portions of the channel member, and movable into collapsed relation substantially within the channeled portion of the channel member, supporting means for pivotally supporting the lower end portions of said arms, an adjusting device connected to the channel member and to said supporting means for selectively locking the arms and channel member, torsion springs engaging the arms and their pivotal connections for constantly urging all the arms in pivotal relation about the pivotal connections thereof.

4. A locking mechanism for seat structure comprising a channel member, a slide guided longitudinally in said channel member, a link fhaving one end portion pivoted to the slide,

supporting means pivotally connected to the link at a location spaced from the slide, means for moving the channel member toward and away from said supporting means whereby the slide moves in the'channel member, locking mechanism engageable with portions of the channel member and slide for selectively locking them in various positions of relative movement.

5. In a seat supporting unit, a channel member having forward and rearward extremities, means vice including means for selectively locking said device in the channel member whereby the latter and pivotal arms are adjustable into variousrelative positions to carry the various elevations.

6. In a seat supporting unit, a pair of substantially parallel downwardly opening upper channel members having forward and rearward extremities, means for supporting a seat bottom on said channel members, a plurality of downwardly extending arms having upper end portions carrying the forward and rear end portions of said channel members, supporting means pivotally connected to said lower end portions of said arms, a link pivotally connected to said supporting means, an adjusting member slidably mounted in one of said upper channel members and pivotally connected to the link, said adjusting member and latter channel member having registerable recesses, and a rod extending rotatably through the latter upper channel member and having an arm selectively engageable in locking relation with the registerable recesses.

LE GRAND S. WHEDON. ALBERT A. GRINNELL.

channel member at 

